pgw.uneasymoney-第43部分

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d　to　round　off　the　picture　of　the　future　which　he　was　constructing　in　his　mind　with　a　reel　or　two　showing　himself　brooding　in　a　cell。　After　all；　what　difference　did　it　make　to　a　man　of　spacious　tastes　whether　he　languished　for　the　rest　of　his　life　in　a　jail　or　on　a　farm　in　the　country？　Jail；　indeed；　was　almost　preferable。　You　knew　where　you　were　when　you　were　in　prison。　They　didn't　spring　things　on　you。　Whereas　life　on　a　farm　was　nothing　but　one　long　succession　of　things　sprung　on　you。　Now　that　Lord　Dawlish　had　gone；　he　supposed　that　Elizabeth　would　make　him　help　her　with　the　bees　again。　At　this　thought　he　groaned　aloud。　When　he　contemplated　a　lifetime　at　Flack's；　a　lifetime　of　bee…dodging　and　carpet…beating　and　water…lugging；　and　reflected　that；　but　for　a　few　innocent　wordswords　spoken；　mark　you；　in　a　pure　spirit　of　kindliness　and　brotherly　love　with　the　object　of　putting　a　bit　of　optimistic　pep　into　sister！he　might　have　been　in　a　position　to　touch　a　millionaire　brother…in…law　for　the　needful　whenever　he　felt　disposed；　the　iron　entered　into　Nutty's　soul。　A　rotten；　rotten　world！
　Nutty　had　the　sort　of　mind　that　moves　in　circles。　After　contemplating　for　a　time　the　rottenness　of　the　world；　he　came　back　to　the　point　from　which　he　had　started。
　'I　can't　understand　it；'　he　said。　'I　can't　believe　it。'
　He　kicked　a　small　pebble　that　lay　convenient　to　his　foot。
　'You　say　you　sent　him　away。　If　he　had　legged　it　on　his　own　account；　because　of　what　he　heard　me　say；　I　could　understand　that。　But　why　should　you'
　It　became　evident　to　Elizabeth　that；　until　some　explanation　of　this　point　was　offered　to　him；　Nutty　would　drift　about　in　her　vicinity；　moaning　and　shuffling　his　feet　indefinitely。
　'I　sent　him　away　because　I　loved　him；'　she　said；　'and　because；　after　what　had　happened；　he　could　never　be　certain　that　I　loved　him。　Can　you　understand　that？'
　'No；'　said　Nutty；　frankly；　'I'm　darned　if　I　can！　It　sounds　loony　to　me。'
　'You　can't　see　that　it　wouldn't　have　been　fair　to　him　to　marry　him？'
　'No。'
　The　doubts　which　she　was　trying　to　crush　increased　the　violence　of　their　attack。　It　was　not　that　she　respected　Nutty's　judgement　in　itself。　It　was　that　his　view　of　what　she　had　done　chimed　in　so　neatly　with　her　own。　She　longed　for　someone　to　tell　her　that　she　had　done　right：　someone　who　would　bring　back　that　feeling　of　certainty　which　she　had　had　during　her　talk　with　Bill。　And　in　these　circumstances　Nutty's　attitude　had　more　weight　than　on　its　merits　it　deserved。　She　wished　she　could　cry。　She　had　a　feeling　that　if　she　once　did　that　the　right　outlook　would　e　back　to　her。
　Nutty；　meanwhile；　had　found　another　pebble　and　was　kicking　it　sombrely。　He　was　beginning　to　perceive　something　of　the　intricate　and　unfathomable　workings　of　the　feminine　mind。　He　had　always　looked　on　Elizabeth　as　an　ordinary　good　fellow；　a　girl　whose　mind　worked　in　a　more　or　less　understandable　way。　She　was　not　one　of　those　hysterical　women　you　read　about　in　the　works　of　the　novelists；　she　was　just　a　regular　girl。　And　yet　now；　at　the　one　moment　of　her　life　when　everything　depended　on　her　acting　sensibly；　she　had　behaved　in　a　way　that　made　his　head　swim　when　he　thought　of　it。　What　it　amounted　to　was　that　you　simply　couldn't　understand　women。
　Into　this　tangle　of　silent　sorrow　came　a　hooting　automobile。　It　drew　up　at　the　gate　and　a　man　jumped　out。
　
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　The　man　who　had　alighted　from　the　automobile　was　young　and　cheerful。　He　wore　a　flannel　suit　of　a　gay　blue　and　a　straw　hat　with　a　coloured　ribbon；　and　he　looked　upon　a　world　which；　his　manner　seemed　to　indicate；　had　been　constructed　according　to　his　own　specifications　through　a　single　eyeglass。　When　he　spoke　it　became　plain　that　his　nationality　was　English。
　Nutty　regarded　his　beaming　countenance　with　a　lowering　hostility。　The　indecency　of　anyone　being　cheerful　at　such　a　time　struck　him　forcibly。　He　would　have　liked　mankind　to　have　preserved　till　further　notice　a　hushed　gloom。　He　glared　at　the　young　man。
　Elizabeth；　such　was　her　absorption　in　her　thoughts；　was　not　even　aware　of　his　presence　till　he　spoke　to　her。
　'I　beg　your　pardon；　is　this　Flack's？'
　She　looked　up　and　met　that　sunny　eyeglass。
　'This　is　Flack's；'　she　said。
　'Thank　you；'　said　the　young　man。
　The　automobile；　a　stout；　silent　man　at　the　helm；　throbbed　in　the　nervous　way　automobiles　have　when　standing　still；　suggesting　somehow　that　it　were　best　to　talk　quick；　as　they　can　give　you　only　a　few　minutes　before　dashing　on　to　keep　some　other　appointment。　Either　this　or　a　natural　volatility　lent　a　breezy　rapidity　to　the　visitor's　speech。　He　looked　at　Elizabeth　across　the　gate；　which　it　had　not　occurred　to　her　to　open；　as　if　she　were　just　what　he　had　expected　her　to　be　and　a　delight　to　his　eyes；　and　burst　into　speech。
　'My　name's　NicholsJ。　Nichols。　I　expect　you　remember　getting　a　letter　from　me　a　week　or　two　ago？'
　The　name　struck　Elizabeth　as　familiar。　But　he　had　gone　on　to　identify　himself　before　she　could　place　it　in　her　mind。
　'Lawyer；　don't　you　know。　Wrote　you　a　letter　telling　you　that　your　Uncle　Ira　Nutbe　had　left　all　his　money　to　Lord　Dawlish。'
　'Oh；　yes；'　said　Elizabeth；　and　was　about　to　invite　him　to　pass　the　barrier；　when　he　began　to　speak　again。
　'You　know；　I　want　to　explain　that　letter。　Wrote　it　on　a　sudden　impulse；　don't　you　know。　The　more　I　have　to　do　with　the　law；　the　more　it　seems　to　hit　me　that　a　lawyer　oughtn't　to　act　on　impulse。　At　the　moment；　you　see；　it　seemed　to　me　the　decent　thing　to　doput　you　out　of　your　misery；　and　so　forthstop　your　entertaining　hopes　never　to　be　realized；　what？　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。　You　see；　it　was　like　this：　BillI　mean　Lord　Dawlishis　a　great　pal　of　mine；　a　dear　old　chap。　You　ought　to　know　him。　Well；　being　in　the　know；　you　understand；　through　your　uncle　having　deposited　the　will　with　us；　I　gave　Bill　the　tip　directly　I　heard　of　Mr　Nutbe's　death。　I　sent　him　a　telephone　message　to　e　to　the　office；　and　I　said：　〃Bill；　old　man；　this　old　buster〃I　beg　your　pardon；　this　old　gentleman〃has　left　you　all　his　money。〃　Quite　informal；　don't　you　know；　and　at　the　same　time；　in　the　same　informal　spirit；　I　wrote　you　the　letter。'　He　dammed　the　torrent　for　a　moment。　'By　the　way；　of　course　you　are　Miss　Elizabeth　Boyd；　what？'
　'Yes。'
　The　young　man　seemed　relieved。
　'I'm　glad　of　that；'　he　said。　'Funny　if　you　hadn't　been。　You'd　have　wondered　what　on　earth　I　was　talking　about。'
　In　spite　of　her　identity；　this　was　precisely　what　Elizabeth　was　doing。　Her　mind；　still　under　a　cloud；　had　been　unable　to　understand　one　word　of　Mr　Nichols's　discourse。　Judging　from　his　appearance；　which　was　that　of　a　bewildered　hosepipe　or　a　snake　whose　brain　is　being　momentarily　overtaxed；　Nutty　was　in　the　same　difficulty。　He　had　joined　the　group　at　the　gate；　abandoning　the　pebble　which　he　had　been　kicking　in　the　background；　and　was　now　leaning　on　the　top　bar；　a　picture　of　silent　perplexity。
　'You　see；　the　trouble　is；'　resumed　the　young　man；　'my　governor；　who's　the　head　of　the　firm；　is　all　for　doing　things　according　to　precedent。　He　loves　red　tapewears　it　wrapped　round　him　in　winter　instead　of　flannel。　He's　all　for　doing　things　in　the　proper　legal　way；　which；　as　I　dare　say　you　know；　takes　months。　And；　meanwhile；　everybody's　wondering　what's　happening　and　who　has　got　the　money；　and　so　on　and　so　forth。　I　thought　I　would　skip　all　that　and　let　you　know　right　away　exactly　where　you　stood；　so　I　wrote　you　that　letter。　I　don't　think　my　temperament's　quite　suited　to　the　law；　don't　you　know；　and　if　he　ever　hears　that　I　wrote　you　that　letter　I　have　a　notion　that　the　governor　will　think　so　too。　So　I　came　over　here　to　ask　you；　if　you　don't　mind；　not　to　mention　it　when　you　get　in　touch　with　the　governor。　I　frankly　admit　that　that　letter；　written　with　the　best　intentions；　was　a　bloomer。'
　With　which　manly　admission　the　young　man　paused；　and　allowed　the　rays　of　his　eyeglass　to　play　upon　Elizabeth　in　silence。　Elizabeth　tried　to　piece　together　what　little　she　understood　of　his　monologue。
　'You　mean　that　you　want　me　not　to　tell　your　father　that　I　got　a　letter　from　you？'
　'Exactly　that。　And　thanks　very　much　for　not　saying　〃without　prejudice；〃　or　anything　of　that　kind。　The　governor　would　have。'
　'But　I　don't　understand。　Why　should　you　think　tha